TV3 (Hungary)

TV3 was a commercial television channel broadcast in Hungary.

TV3 (Hungary)
Launched5 November 1994 (1994-11-05)[1]
Closed21 February 2000 (2000-02-21)
Owned byCentral European Media Enterprises
Picture format576i (4:3 SDTV)
CountryHungary
LanguageHungarian
Broadcast areaHungary
HeadquartersBudapest, Hungary
Websitewww.tv3.hu

History

The beginnings (1994–1997)

Budapesti Kommunikációs Rt., which operated TV3, was founded in 1993 by the Municipality of Budapest at the time of the "media war" in the early 1990s at the initiative of the assembly of the parties SZDSZ (Alliance of Free Democrats) and Fidesz (Hungarian Civic Alliance). The first experimental release took place in December 1993. Following the elections in 1994, the former opposition lost its interest in the channel, but the company's executives (György Iványi (President), András Feuer (Chief Communications Officer, editor of the channel and their associates, later joined Andrew Sarlós (Canadian businessman)) raised their capital and prepared for regular broadcasting. Permanent broadcasting was started by TV3 on November 5, 1994, as a private company. The channel was distributed via satellite (Amos-1) and the AM-Mikro system in Budapest, which reached almost 60% of the Hungarian households. It was the first nationwide distributed channel.

Change of owner, renewed TV3 (1997–2000)

According to the 1996 Media Act, three applications for the national analogue terrestrial frequencies were launched - Central European Media Enterprises (as Írisz TV), RTL Group and SBS Broadcasting Group - for the two concessions. Írisz TV applied for both frequencies but lost the application. However, RTL Group won with a higher amount than the TV3 bid, so the tender was not to be won. Central European Media Enterprises has filed a lawsuit that has been delayed until 2000.

Following the unsuccessful bid to use a prepaid program package in the hope of winning the concession tender, the company operating TV3, was purchased in 1997 by CME, Lauder Group and the former US Ambassador in Budapest, Mark Palmer.

The end

In 2000, Budapesti Kommunikációs Rt. and its rights were purchased by SBS Broadcasting Group. With this, the operation of TV3 at the same time ended. The rumor of the end of the channel was announced by programmer Michael Hardy in the news program Hír3[2]. The broadcast of TV3 ended right after the release of the news program Hír3.[3]

Name disputes

In 2007, when TV2 and RTL Klub celebrated its 10th birthday, the old TV3 team organized a meeting at the former Hűvösvölgyi Road headquarters. Viasat 3 was launched on 14 October 2000. Viasat's channel was run under the name TV3 in many countries, but this was not the case here. They have repeatedly attempted to acquire the rights, but ultimately their attempts were unsuccessful, and finally the name of Viasat's TV6 channel was changed to Viasat 6 in February 2011. On 1 January 2010 FEM3 began broadcasting a channel for women. The channel was originally called TV3, but changed its name before leaving, probably due to legal disputes.

References
  1. {}
  2. Hardy Mihály a Hír3 című műsorban bejelenti a televíziós társaság megszűnését, TV3, 2000. február 21.
  3. "A TV 3 utolsó percei 2000". youtube.com. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
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